Robert Albert Williamson (abt. 1827 - 1910)

Born about 1827 in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Priscilla M. (Crawford) Williamson — married 1853 in Illinois

Descendants

Died 29 Oct 1910 at about age 83 in Sacramento, Sacramento, California, United States

Biography

Robert was born about 1827. Robert is the child of David Williamson and Lourena Masters.

Obituary

FUNERAL SERVICES HELD OVER ROBERT WILLIAMSON

Funeral services for Robert Williamson, one of the veteran fruit growers of the Sacramento Valley and a founder of the orange industry in this region were held at 10 o'clock to-day [31 Oct 1910] at his home at 1200 O Street. Williamson died last Friday and was 84 years old. He was one of the pioneers who worked his way across this country in the days of 1862.

Williamson's history is linked with many an event of interest to the older residents of the city, who can recall the times when the emigrants struggled across the plains. Commencing his career on the Coase as a dealer in fresh fruits and produce in the mining camps, Williamson worked his way into prominence.

Some of the interesting chapters of his life are told in a biography in which he recounts the journey across the plains during the Civil War period at a time when it seemed as if Brigham Young of the Mormon Church might become a factor in National politics when the North and South were struggling. His story of how he went to Florida and secured a partnership with a nursery firm, which sent orange trees to him and practically started the fruit growing industry in Superior California, is also told in the volume.

Williamson was associated here at one time with W. R. Strong in the nursery and orchard business.

He was a native of Louisiana. He leave four children, Mahlon N. Robert C. and George B. Williamson of Sacramento, and Charles N. Williamson of Dunsmuir. Burial was in the City Cemetery.

Burial

Sacramento City Cemetery, Sacramento, Sacramento County, California, USA, Plot: B 126 78

Personal Insights

The following letter from Robt II to W.D. WILLIAMSON is abstracted due to its rich genealogical description of the WILLIAMSON Family. There are some historic errors but this letter serves as a 'pointer' for much of the research on this very colorful family.

"My dear Nephew, W.D. Williamson:14 July 1910

Yours of May 27 was received in due . . . . .(((health & welfare)) Well, I will stop on that subject and proceed to give a history of my family as by your request. And my history is your history. My grandfather on my fathers side was a Scotchman, coming to Kentucky. As a boy he grew up and married a Miss Susan BRYSON. To this union there was born and raised four children: one daughter and three sons. The daughter (the oldest) married a wealthy Cotton Planter of Louisiana and named TALAFARIO, commonly called TALIVER. He was a very prominent man in the forties. Was twice Governor of the State, and one of the Supreme Court Judges most of his life. When the Civil War broke out he took sides with the Union and a detachment of Rebels confiscated all his property and burnt all his property except the home and furniture in which the girls were there sick. The man in Command made them put out the fire to the residence because the girls were there sick in the house and then confiscated all his property and ruined his sewers and let the water ruin one of the finest cotton plantations in the State of Louisiana. One of the old governor's sons hid in the swamps for four weeks to get into the Union Armies and in the Reconstruction of the South. LINCOLN, knowing the fate of the TALAFARIO family, made the old man Chief Justice of the Supreme Court which he held until his death and his son Robert was made Postmaster of New Orleans and his son Boulard was made Circuit Judge of three counties or Parishes as they called them, and David the other son was made a printer. Lincoln put him in charge of a National Paper at New Orleans so Lincoln rewarded all the Talafara family and they held their jobs until their deaths. The old judge had about one hundred slaves and by a worthy proclamation he freed them all before (original illegible)

So much for my father's oldest sister and her family. My grandfather was a large wholesale merchant and manufacturer in LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY and by understanding and spreading out he found himself embarrassed and in an hour of despondency he put a pistol in his mouth and blew his head off. Leaving my grandmother ((Susan BRYSON)) with 3 boys under age. She bound my father ((David WILLIAMSON II)) to a tailor, my uncle Robert to a lawyer, and William to a druggist. In those days it was customary to bind their children out. My father ran away at the age of 17 and went to his sister in Louisiana. Where he met and married my mother,((Laurens MASTERS)), very much against the wish of his aristocratic sister. My father was 18 and my mother 15, and his sister disowned him. Her husband (the judge) helped him ((DAVID II)) politically so that he soon got to be high Sheriff of the County. He ((DAVID II)) had a family of five small children. He then started for the new territory of Illinois to which he came and in which he raised a family of 9 children, of which your commented father was one. My uncle Robert my father's brother (for which I was named) made a very prominent lawyer and amassed a large fortune but he branched out in some large venture and became involved in debt and like my grandfather he blew his head off. My uncle Wm. became a prominent druggist but took consumption and suffered 18 years. He traveled nearly all over the world in search of health. He spent 3 years in Illinois with us, but all to no purpose. He went to Kentucky and after being confined to bed 6 months he took poison and ended his miserable life. Neither Him nor Uncle Robert ever married.

My mother was of German extraction. Her family moved to Cape Girard, Mo. before we moved to Illinois, and by some means we lost all trace of them and I don't know what ever became of the family. My mother died (I think in 1846) and about 2 years after my father (David) married a young widow (Susan Carter) with 2 small girl children. She was 3 years and 6 months younger than my oldest brother and only three months older than myself (who was the second child). This marriage broke up and ruined the family. He raised a second family about which I think you know more than I do. I want to mention one thing right here while I think of it that is: my family as far back as I trace them, seems to be fated to make money quick and use it quick. Nearly all of them have made money and been well to do and nearly all died poor. (Does it not seem that the family is fated?) My oldest brother James was married twice. Raised 3 boys and 1 girl by the first wife. They are all in southern Kansas. Don't known much about them. He raised (I believe) 2 boys and 2 girls by the second wife. THe two girls are in Pomona, Los Angeles County, California. Mrs. Julia Walcott, 483 West Center Street. I know she would be glad to get a letter from yhou. THe other is Mrs. Elizabth STUMP. I don't know her street or number. The boys are in Kansas but I don't know all the balance of our family. But if you want to know anything else of the family I will be glad to give any information I can.

Now as to my own family. My wife (first wife) gave birth to 8 children (all boys). Two still born, 1 died at 13 months old. We raised 5 to be men grown and 4 married. John C, Malhon Newton, George Bond?,Robert Clark and Charlie Neal. The last not married. John the oldest has been dead 3 years. He left a widow and 2 daughters. The oldest is married and has 2 children and lives in Alaska(so I have 2 great grand children). Malhen has 2 children, 1 girl 19 years and 1 boy 8 years. He is member of a large wholesale house doing a great business. He is worth about $100,000. George is running a resturant in this city. Has poor health and very little capital. Robert had a small ranch near town, has just sold it for $20,000 and reserved the house, barn, and 1 acre of land worth about $6,000. I built the house. It and the barn cost me over $5,000. He is well fixed. Charlie, my youngest is in the R.R. Office. He gets a salary of $175.00 a month. He is 150 miles north of Sacramento. He sends me $25.00 every month. That is the kind of a boy to have don't you think so? While we never had any girls of our own I have partly raised and married 6 girls from my house. I have played father and given away in marriage 6 orphan girls. I gave all of them good educations and taught them all music. I have done my share in raising orphan girls. I raised one from 18 months to 21 years, and she is now the wife of a wealthy New York merchant. Two of the girls are dead and the balance scattered all over. Only two of them in this state and either one of them would do as much for me as any daughter could do. And well they may for I have been a father to them. My first wife died in 1887. Two of the girls married within 1 year after her death. I married my second wife in 1893. Have no children by the second wife. She has one son by a former husband. He is a merchant in Yuba City, Sutter County. She is up there now to attend the wedding of her oldest grand daughter. We wrote you last from Wilbut Springs where we went to get rid of rheumatism. I had it for 7 years and wife had the very worse form of sciatic for 2 years. She has suffered 10 thousand deaths and spent hundreds of dollars with doctors, but all failed. We stayed at the Springs 5 weeks and both came home entirely cured. It is marvelous, perfectly wonderful. We are talking of having our pictures taken together and if we do we will send you one

Your Loving Uncle, Robert Love from Wife.

Sources

"United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M85N-JZ8 : accessed 15 April 2016), Robert Williamson, Brown county, part of, Brown, Illinois, United States; citing family 406, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

"Illinois State Census, 1855," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:61VS-3N2 : accessed 15 April 2016), Robert Williamson, Morgan, Illinois; citing p. 142, State Archives, Springville; FHL microfilm 976,671.

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K94R-Q31 : accessed 15 April 2016), M N Williamson, Area A, Sacramento, Sacramento Judicial Township, Sacramento, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 34-63, sheet 10B, family 237, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 282.

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6PS-T2F : accessed 15 April 2016), Robert Williamson, Nine, Placer, California, United States; citing enumeration district ED 69, sheet 252A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0070; FHL microfilm 1,254,070.

"Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1934," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q292-GXBP : accessed 15 April 2016), Robert Williamson and Pricilla M. Crawford, 24 Nov 1853; citing , Morgan, Illinois, United States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,317,641.

"California Great Registers, 1866-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VTXD-TY2 : accessed 15 April 2016), Robert Williamson, 1896; citing Voter Registration, 908 L St, Sacramento, California, United States, county clerk offices, California; FHL microfilm 978,930.

Find A Grave Memorial# 106733234. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=106733234

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LWHW-ZH3